Bottle stopper with pull wire and method of making same



S pt ,19 5 w. P. HENRY 0 2,

BOTTLE STOPPER ,WITH PULL WIRE AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME Filed Aug. 17, 1953 Patented Sept. 1, 1936 FEE STATES FATENT OFFIE William P. Henry, Flushing, N. Y.

Application August 17,

12 Claims.

This invention relates generally to bottle stoppers made of fabric such as thick paper, pasteboard or cardboard, and which are provided with attached loops or other arrangements of fine wires which the user can grasp to easily pull the stopper out of the mouth of the bottle or other receptacle in which it has been inserted.

More specifically, my invention is designed to form an improvement on the milk bottle stoppers now in use which are composed of thick paper discs, each of which is provided with an external loop of wire to be grasped for pulling it out of the bottle mouth. The free ends of these wires have heretofore been forced down through the discs in a direction at right angles to the surface thereof, and then bent back and forced up through the disc again in the opposite direction. The four punctures so formed in the commonly used milk bottle stopper permit such excessive leakage of contained liquid and admission of filth,if not sealed in some manner, that it has been necessary to add an inner disc of paper to cover these holes and efiect such sealing action. But such second disc, which has to be cemented onto the first one after the pull wire has been stitched into the latter, adds considerably to the cost of material and labor required for manufacturing the completed bottle stopper.

The main object of my present invention is to prevent any leakage by more economical means, and this is accomplished by dispensing with the additional sealing disc or lamination, reducing the punctures in the remaining single disc from four to two, and producing a liquid and-dirt tight joint between the wire and fabric of the disc by any or all of the following expedients: (l) I may form a section of such wire into a staple with substantially parallel legs and then drive the free end of each of such staple legs once through the paper disc at a considerable angle of inclination to the surface of the latter and then force the fabric down upon such inclined wire sections by external pressure applied in a direction at right angles to the disc surfaces. (2) I may coat the wire before it is stitched into the disc with a somewhat plastic liquid-proof material, such as paraffin, a portion of which material will extend as film sleeves into the disc punctures and create internal seals for the same by filling any annular spaces which would be otherwise left between the wire and surrounding disc fabric, while any portion of such coating stripped from that section of the wire in the puncturing operation will accumu- 1933, Serial No. 685,582

This modified mounting of the wire in the 10 disc can be done with apparatus now employed commercially in making the milk bottle stoppers with pull wires in quite general use, by inclining the faces of the stitching machine plunger and platen or anvil at the desired angle, 15

say forty-five degrees, and modifying the portions of the apparatus which now bend the wire ends back up through the disc again so as to produce my new and simpler arrangement of said wire end portions, and, finally, by adding any suitable form of spraying device to the stitching apparatus for applying the paraffin coating to the wire. Also, such coating may of course be done by running the wire through a paraffin bath before it reaches the stitching head.

The best form of structure, with certain minor modifications, embodying my invention at pres ent known to me, and the preferred form of apparatus for producing them, are illustrated in the accompanying sheet of drawings, in which:

Fig. I is a plan view of a disc bottle stopper with one form of pull wire attached thereto; and,

Fig. II is a section line on line l'I--II of Fig. I.

Figs. III and IV are similar views of such stopper showing different angles of inclination of the free end of the Wire with reference to the upper looped portion.

Figs. V and VI are similar views showing the wire loop formed with inclined side portions and the free ends of the wire bent back parallel one to the other.

Figs. VII and VIII are similar views showing the upper portion of the wire loop curved instead of straight, and the tips of the free ends of said wire bent upwardly so as to extend part way into the under surface of the body of the disc.

Figs. IX and X are similar views of a modification in which the wire is bent into a substantially circular loop.

Fig. X1 is an enlarged detail of'the punctured section of the disc stopper with the portion of. the wire passing through the same and showing in exaggerated form the coating preferably used on such portion of the wire.

Fig. XII is a diagrammatic view of a standard form of apparatus for making bottle stoppers with pull wires which has been modified to carry out my invention.

Throughout the drawing like reference characters indicate like parts.

In all the cross sectional views the thickness of the paper disc has been greatly exaggerated for clarity of illustration.

Referring to Figs. I to IV, I represents the disc of paper, cardboard or pasteboard. or similar fabric, of sufficient elasticity and compressible in nature, which forms the body of the stopper inserted in the wide mouth of the ordinary milk bottle. In using my invention, this disc can be made of a single thickness of material, integral and not laminated in construction. 2 represents theupper portion of the loop of wire, 3 represents the portions lying within the disc, and 4 the bent end portions of the wire, which .extend along the under surface of the disc. As shown, .the portion 3 of the wire completely embedded in the disc extends at an angleof ap proximately forty-five degrees inclination to the upper and lower surfaces of. the disc. The upper portion of the loop and the backwardly bent ends of the wire are embedded in the surface of the disc to a considerable extent, as shown, so as not to interfere with the handling of said discs in the bottling machinery and otherwise. The wire ends 4, 3, in Fig. I are shown inclined at an angle .of thirtydegrees to the side portions of the loop 2, while in Fig. III they are shown at an angle of forty-five degrees. Other angles of inclination might be used, but it is preferable to have an angle of at least thirty degrees so as to insure the main portion of, the wire ends being offset laterally from the side portions of the wire loop so that when forced into the disc by the pressure of the combined cutter and hammer usually employed for stamping out discs from the strip of fabric from which they are made, the portions of the wire above and below the disc willnot come opposite each other and exert a scissor-like action, cutting unnecessarily into the-intervening fabric of the disc along one and the same plane perpendicular to the surface thereof.

Referring to Figs. V and VI, 5 represents the cross portion of the bight of the wire loop which is straight and longer than the distance between the punctures in the disc, so that the legs or side portions 6, 6, of the loop are inwardly inclined as shown. This permits avoidance of the scissorlike action of the upper and lower sections of the wire above referred to while having the free ends 1,1, of the wire bent backwardly under the disc, parallel one to another.

Referring to Figs. VII and VIII, the cross portion of the loop 8 is curved, and'the ends of the wire are bent upward as shown at 9, 9, to form spurs which are driven part way, into the disc and thereby add to the firmness with which the whole wire structure is clinched to the disc.

Referring to Figs.,IX and X, the loop portion Ill of the wire is shown curved throughout.

In all these modifications above described, each portion of. the wire extending through the disc is inclined at a considerable angle to the surface of the disc, with the'result that the seal thereby produced when the disc is subjected to the final pressure is very effective, the yielding fabric of the disc being forced by such pressure very tightly around the inclined portions Of the wire. The portions of the wire extending through the disc are longer than in the case of stoppers of this character heretofore made by the passage of the wire through such disc at right angles thereto. Furthermore, the double clinching action of the oppositely arranged loopand wire ends serves to hold the whole wire structure firmly in position when subjected to external forces which might tend to displace it and thereby loosen the contact between the fabric of the disc and the portions 1 3, of the wire embedded therein.

If the wire is given a coating of paraffin or other somewhat plastic liquid-proof material before it is driven into the disc, a considerable portion of this material will still adhere to the wire section embedded in the disc as indicated at l9 in Fig. XI, and thereby form an effective seal for the opening formed in the strip of paper I! by the insertion of the wire. Such seal serves both to prevent leakage of the liquid in the bottle, and admission to the bottle interior of. dirt or moisture. Also, any portion of this coating which is stripped off during the puncturingoperation will accumulate in a ring or collar 20 around the wire at the outer mouth of the puncture and thereby form a most effective seal against the admission of external dirt or liquids.

Referring to Fig. XII, l2 represents a stitcherhead of a standard form of mechanism for stitching pull wires into bottle stoppers. i3 is the reciprocating plunger thereof, and 23 indicates any suitable mechanism for reciprocating this plunger. M is an anvil or platen cooperating with plunger E3 to insert and bend the wire staple l5 held in the plunger, through the strip of paper or cardboard i l which passes between the plunger and anvil at an angle of forty-five degrees to the line of re- 'ciprocation of said plunger. In the apparatus ordinarily used' the working faces of plunger and anvil extend at right angles to such line of reciprocation, and all that is necessary to produce bottle stoppers according to my abovedescribed invention is to give the faces of these members of the machine the desired angle of inclination as shown. l6 represents a combined hammer and stamp or punch which reciprocates toward and from anvil H to flatten the wire loop and wire ends down upon and against the surfaces of the strip. Such hammer pressure also embeds both partly or wholly in thesurface of the paper and at the same time cuts out the circular disc, thus forming the completed disc stopper. l8 represents conventionally a jet nozzle for spraying parafiin or similar material on the wire loop if: or on a portion thereof before it is driven into-the strip II. 2| indicates feed rolls for pulling the strip through the apparatus. 22 indicates a recess in the anvil I4 for receiving and bending back the ends of the wire staple into positions indicated at 24, so that when the sections of the strip H bearing such staples are successively fed between the hammer l6 and the, anvil ll they will be bent down upon the surfaces of the strip by the hammer action, and embedded therein as above described.

Among the advantages of my invention, as above indicated, may be mentioned the saving of material and labor resulting from the omission of the second or sealing disc now used, and the avoidance of leakage of the contents of the bottle or the admission of dirt to the interior thereof, resulting from the perfection of the seal produced by the greater length of wire between the surfaces of the disc, the forcing of the material of the disc intoi'intimate Contact with such portions'of wire,

"surrounding the wire and resting against the uppersiirface of said disc. 7

Furthermore, thesealin'g material, if i of an I adhesivech'aracter'such as paraflin, serves an addi- "tional function in holding in position both the wire portions passing through the disc and those pressed down into its surfaces. This, together with the backward bending of the free ends of the Wire as'desc'ribed'also serves an important purpose in creating a telltale capable of evidencing any opening of the bottle which may have been done between the time of its original filling and insertion of the stopper, and of its reaching the ultimate consumer. That is to say, the loop must be raised to remove the stopper for any such unauthorized tampering with the bottle contents, and this will thereafter be clearly indicated, since the paraffin film around the looped portion of the wire will have been thereby broken. Moreover, the free ends of the wire will have been thereby bent out of their original position, and, when the loop has been later swung back to proper position after any such unauthorized removal of the stopper, the then projecting free ends of the wire will show that the bottle has been already once opened.

Various changes could be made in the details of the completed bottle stopper and in the method and apparatus for making same above described without departing from the underlying principles of the invention, so long as any such modified method, apparatus and product thereof are respectively within the definitions of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination, with a disc for use as a bottle stopper, of a pull wire having two, parallel straight portions which extend therethrough at angles of not more than about forty-five degrees inclination to the surfaces thereof each at one point only, the material of said disc being in close contact with the embedded surfaces of said wire at all points thereof located between the planes of the top and bottom surfaces of said disc while the projecting loop of said wire lies upon and along the upper surface thereof.

2. A structure such as defined in claim 1 combined with a coating of somewhat plastic water proof material on portions of said wire embedded in said disc, and adjacent thereto.

3. The combination, with a disc of relatively stiff paper fabric for use as a bottle stopper, of a pull Wire in the form of a staple the legs of which pass through holes extending in substantially parallel directions through said disc at an angle of about forty-five degrees inclination to the surfaces thereof, said staple legs fitting closely in and completely filling said holes so as to form substantially fluid tight joints with said disc from the upper to the lower surfaces thereof while the projecting loop of said wire lies upon and along the upper surface.

4. A structure such as defined in claim 3 combined with a coating of paraffin on portions of said wire, embedded in and adjacent to said disc.

5. The combination, with a disc for use as a bottle stopper, of a pull wire inserted therethrough, said wire being bent into a loop-shaped outline with the bight of the loop lying on the upper surface of said disc and the free ends of the wire bent backward along straight lines extending below the under surface and toward the center thereof with their tips turned upward and embedded therei'n'but extending only part way therethrough.

6. The'combination, with a disc for use as a bottle stopper, of a pull wire inserted therethrough, said wire being bent into a loop-shaped outline with the bight of the loop lying on the upper surface of said disc and the free ends of the wire bent backward along the under surface thereof and entirely below 'the upper surface,

both 'the side portions of the loop above said disc about forty-five degrees.

7. A structure such as defined in claim 6, combined with a ring of somewhat plastic material surrounding the portions of said wire immediately adjacent the upper surface of said disc.

8. The herein described method of making bottle stoppers provided with a pull wire out of a considerable thickness of paper fabric, portions of which wire are tightly sealed in such fabric, which comprises forming a section of such wire into a staple with parallel legs forcing the free end of each such staple leg once only through such fabric at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the surfaces thereof, and then compacting such fabric about said wire by external pressure applied perpendicularly to the perforated surfaces along lines passing through the portions of wire embedded therein.

9. The herein described method of making bottle stoppers provided with a pullwire out of a single thickness of paper fabric, portions of which wire are tightly sealed in such fabric, which comprises forming a section of such wire into a staple with parallel legs forcing the free end of each such staple leg once only through such fabric at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the surfaces thereof, and then compacting such fabric about said wire by external pressure applied perpendicularly to the perforated surfaces along lines passing through the portions of wire embedded therein, and at the same time tightly clamping the protruding portions of said wire to such fabric surfaces opposite one another, whereby subsequent movement of such wire in the fabric perforations through which it extends will be prevented unless the Wire is displaced by the application to it of a considerable external force.

10. The herein described method of making bottle stoppers provided with a pull wire out of a single thickness of paper fabric, portions of which wire are tightly sealed in such fabric, which comprises forming a section of such wire into a staple with parallel legs forcing the free end of each such staple leg once only through such fabric at an angle of about forty-five degrees to the surfaces thereof, coating said entire section of wire with paraffin, and then compacting such fabric about said wire by external pressure applied perpendicularly to the perforated surfaces along lines passing through the portions of wire embedded therein, the paraffin as a coating material being drawn into the punctures and surrounding the wire acting also as an adhesive, thereby effectually sealing the inclined punctures against the possibility of leakage.

11. As a step in the herein described process of making a bottle stopper out ofa disc of paper fabric provided with a pull wire having portions tightly sealed in such fabric, punching a free, straight end of such wire through such fabric at an angle of about forty-five degrees inclination to the surfaces thereof and bending all protruding portions of the wire down against and along the adjacent surface of the disc.

12. A process for making a bottle stopper out of a disc of slightly compressible fabric provided with a pull wire extending along the upper surface thereof, which comprises the following steps:

, punching an endof such wire through such fabric at an angle of about forty-five degrees inclination to the surfaces thereof, and thereafter compacting said fabric about the embedded portion against and along the adjacent surface of the disc. 10

WILLIAM 'P. HENRY. 

